


Togetherness

by Potrix



Series: Holding On [3]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Because Tony And Bucky, Bottom Tony Stark, Can be read as a stand alone, Canon Divergence - Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Cuddling & Snuggling, Developing Relationship, Domestic, Fluff, Idiots in Love, Kissing, Liberal Amounts Of Swearing, M/M, Mild Sexual Content, Not Iron Man 3 Compliant, POV Tony Stark, Tony Stark Is A Lovesick Fool, Top Bucky Barnes, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings, developing feelings, very mild angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-31
Updated: 2014-10-31
Packaged: 2018-02-23 10:25:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2544128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Potrix/pseuds/Potrix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bucky doesn’t require him to say a single thing, doesn’t expect anything but to be held while he falls apart, until he’s gathered himself and his thoughts and is ready to move on. And that, <em>that</em> Tony can do.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Togetherness

**Author's Note:**

> Why can't tags stay the way I put them? Why do capital letters have to be removed? Why is the order I wrote them in not the order they show up in the finished story? 
> 
> UGH! 
> 
> Anyway. Part three, you guys. Thanks for all your support, I never imagined much interest in this pairing and am glad to be proven wrong.
> 
> Enjoy.

**Togetherness**

* * *

Bucky enjoys kissing. A lot.

Tony suspects this to be a remnant of the less than open-minded decade Bucky spent his formative years struggling through, a leftover wariness caused by the constant hiding and the looming threat of discovery.

Being a very physical and tactile person himself, imagining a time where simple affection had to be hidden behind closed doors for the fear of public shaming and legal prosecution not only saddens and angers Tony, it also makes him determined to provide Bucky with whatever he needs and wishes for in that department.

Tony is generous like that. And a tiny bit selfish, because Bucky not only likes kissing, he’s also incredibly talented with that gorgeous mouth of his, meaning there’s usually a ridiculous amount, one that could put even teenage Tony himself to shame, of necking and making-out involved whenever the two of them find themselves alone together.

Which, Tony reflects thoughtfully as he runs his fingers through Bucky’s messy hair, happens more and more often now that they have _this_.

Whatever this is.

They haven’t had the much dreaded and always awkward talk yet, but the thing Tony appreciates most about Bucky is that underneath all his humour and swagger, Bucky, despite or maybe even because of what has been done to him, is in tune with himself in a way Tony probably never will be, is gifted with a sort of unobtrusive empathy that makes him incredibly likeable and an almost frighteningly good judge of character.

There’s a silent agreement between them to keep this quiet and private, at least for the moment, until they’ve figured out where they’re headed. It’s kinda nice, to not have anyone meddle and everyone pitching in with their own two cents, good intentions or not. To simply _be_. Together. With each other.

Savouring the tentative beginning of something that has the potential to either send them crashing and burning or turn out to be the solid foundation for so much more.

And Tony is enough of a bastard to find his joy and amusement in the fact that they’re successfully sneaking around everyone while their team, containing several alleged master spies, remains completely oblivious as to what is going on behind their backs.

Grinning to himself, Tony plucks another dumpling from the plate on the coffee table and pops it into his mouth.

Bucky’d snorted at him for ordering what basically constitutes as a variety of appetisers for dinner, but he had done it fondly, so Tony chose to embrace it and take it as the backhanded show of adoration it clearly was.

“Did you just steal the last shrimp wonton?” Bucky demands suddenly, twisting around where he’s sprawled across Tony’s chest to scowl up at him. “You asshole, you totally did,” he accuses and surges up with his extremely unfair super soldier speed to snag the dumpling right from between Tony’s lips.

“Rude,” is all Tony has the time to remark before he’s being kissed in earnest, slow and deep and thoroughly, Bucky warm and relaxed against him.

Humming appreciatively, Tony impatiently paws at Bucky until he turns fully, nestled comfortably in the V of Tony’s spread legs, metal arm sandwiched between the backrest and Tony’s shoulders and the hand of the other cupping the side of Tony’s neck.

Tony slides his own hands down Bucky’s spine, revelling in the shuddering moan that action earns him, and pushes them under Bucky’s shirt, splaying them over the small of his back.

Bucky shifts a little, burrowing in closer, which presses their cocks together, neither of them fully hard yet. Bucky makes an inquiring sound nonetheless but Tony shushes him with a minute shake of his head, content to stay exactly as they are.

He kisses Bucky’s cheekbones, his forehead, smiles against his eyelids when kissing him there makes Bucky laugh before sealing their mouths back together, swallowing Bucky’s happy little sigh.

***

“No,” Tony insists and crosses his arms over his chest, glaring down at Bucky’s face which is about all of him that’s still visible, what with the massive ball of fur and slobber currently occupying the majority of the bed. “Absolutely not.”

Bucky sticks his bottom lip out to pout and Tony has to work hard to not cave in immediately. Going by the satisfied twinkle in Bucky’s eyes, the little shit knows it, too.

“He’s getting hair all over everything,” Tony sighs, nevertheless perching on the edge of the mattress to slide a hand over Archie’s head and scratch behind his ears, earning himself a lolling tongue and a happy sniff.

“He helps me sleep,” Bucky says, chin jutted out stubbornly in a scarily accurate imitation of Steve, the master manipulator himself, and Tony groans, flopping down next to the two of them face first.

Keeping Bucky from waking up screaming in terror every other night and bringing him back to himself with gentle nudges and licks whenever he zones out would have been enough for Tony to like the dog, never mind the dopey but cute head tilt thing he does and the convenient ‘eats everything healthy forced on Tony so Tony doesn’t actually have to eat it himself’ thing they’ve got going on.

Archie is all right. That doesn’t mean Tony won’t put up a token protest just for the sake of it, however.

“Couldn’t you have gotten a smaller one?” he whines, pointedly turning his back to Bucky and the dog only to realise his blankets are trapped underneath about half a ton of canine. “He’s got to be part mammoth or something.”

Bucky’s eye-roll is almost audible, cold metal fingers sneaking under the hem of Tony’s pyjama bottoms. “You’re such a dumbass,” he murmurs against Tony’s neck, nibbling lightly before soothing the area with gentle brushes of his lips.

“I love how you think insulting me will get you into my pants,” Tony says dryly and ignores the fact that, technically, at least part of Bucky is already inside his pants.

“Won’t it?” Bucky asks, all feigned indignation including a dramatic little sniffle, and Tony knows he’s just messing around but.

But.

Tony can’t help himself, twists around so fast there’s a good chance he’s giving himself whiplash, eyes flickering over Bucky’s face in search of even the tiniest hint of real hurt or upset while he mentally facepalms because he’s being seriously pathetic right now.

Before he has time to crack a joke and divert the attention away from the embarrassing appearance of his usually ignored and very thoroughly repressed insecurities, though, Bucky’s expression changes from a confused frown to something open and possibly fond, Tony thinks, squinting a bit through his uncertainty.

“Archie, down,” Bucky murmurs absently and the dog moves away, unimpressed by his banishment as he shuffles to the foot of the bed, tail wagging lazily.

Unsure as to what the appropriate course of action might be in this particular situation he doesn’t entirely understand, Tony doesn’t move and keeps his eyes on Bucky, waiting for a cue. Which he gets in the form of Bucky closing the distance between them and pressing their lips together.

A little hesitantly, Tony curls a hand around Bucky’s hip and tangles their legs together, opens his mouth in invitation and hears his breath hitch when Bucky accepts it, lightly touching his tongue to Tony’s before retreating again to give his lip a teasing nip.

“I’m okay,” Bucky whispers into their kiss, following the words with a series of quick pecks. “We’re okay.”

It’s irrational, Tony is aware of that much still, at least, but hearing Bucky say it, having that reassurance makes a tension he hadn’t previously noticed leak out of him, has him melt against Bucky and arch into the hand appearing on his cheek.

Bucky draws him in close and rolls onto his back in one fluid move, pulling Tony against his side, and Tony shuffles so he can sling an arm across Bucky’s chest and bury his face in Bucky’s neck.

“We’re okay,” Tony parrots, nosing behind Bucky’s ear and pressing a smile into his skin when he feels Bucky’s lips on his temple.

***

The arm is a delicate subject and dealing with it compares to skipping through a minefield blindfolded, causing Tony to simultaneously revel in and resent the fact that he is the only one qualified and trusted enough to work on it.

They’ve made some general progress since Steve first brought Bucky home. It’s been several months since poking around in the circuitry has prompted an episode and Tony found himself being hurled across his workshop, but there are still good days and bad days.

Unfortunately, going by the blank expression on Bucky’s face and the white-knuckle grip his flesh hand has on the table, today seems to be one of the latter.

Doctor Matsushita, the bionics specialist Tony lured halfway across the globe with a very impressive salary and benefits package, has been pushing research and development to new heights, improving what they’d already had and bringing with him so much unprecedented knowledge and expertise, Tony would be insanely jealous of the man if it weren’t for the image of Bucky’s forced, watery smile and shrugged “It’s fine.” he gets whenever they have to tell him they’re not quite ready just yet that’s firmly lodged into the back of his mind.

The main obstacle at the moment is the connection between the artificial parts, namely the top three of Bucky’s ribs and his shoulder, and his still fully human spine. They’re afraid dislodging the metal could cause lasting nerve damage which, especially in such a critical area, is to be avoided at all costs.

So, frustrating as it may be, it’s more waiting for Bucky and making the current prosthetic function as smoothly and painlessly as possible for Tony.

By the time Tony is done repairing the minor damage received during their latest stint with another wannabe villain, this one accompanied by a wobbling mountain of semi-sentient pink slime, Bucky is sweating and panting, eyes just short of going completely vacant.

Knowing he only has a small window of reaction time before he loses Bucky for, if worst comes to worst, several hours, Tony lifts up the hand he’s still holding and presses his lips to the cool metal palm, lingering and running his free hand up and down Bucky’s arm until Bucky blinks himself back into the present.

Tony smiles at him, holding Bucky’s hand against his cheek and leaning into it. “Hello there, gorgeous.”

Bucky twitches, automatically tries to pull away once he has assessed the situation, but Tony grips him tighter, only turns his head a little in order to give Bucky’s wrist a playful lick.

“You know I can’t feel that,” Bucky sighs wistfully, although he has apparently resigned himself to his fate for the moment, stretching across the worktable to slide his fingers into the short hair at the nape of Tony’s neck.

“I’ve been informed it’s the thought that counts,” Tony shrugs and meets him halfway, sneaking in a quick Eskimo kiss that makes Bucky huff out something that could be counted as a chuckle before, finally, brushing their lips together.

“Yeah,” Bucky agrees and then proceeds to blow a raspberry against Tony’s mouth, kissing the ensuing laughter right off Tony’s face.

***

They are not requirements per se, but Tony, contrary to popular belief, can actually take hints. And Bucky isn’t all that subtle with what he wants, either.

For one, Bucky exclusively tops. Which suits Tony’s own tastes just fine, so no problem there. There are instances, occasional tells Tony is fairly sure Bucky isn’t even aware of displaying, that leave Tony thinking that maybe there’s more to it on Bucky’s part than mere preference.

Tony made sure Bucky is aware that switching is an option he’s open to and then left him to it, allowing him to work out whatever it is that’s keeping him from accepting the offer in peace, on his own. The grateful smile and extra attention bestowed upon him that particular night were enough for Tony to preen in the knowledge that he’d done right by someone for once.

The rough manner of their first encounter in the alley did not, in fact, become a habit. Bucky, unsurprisingly to Tony, turns out to be a highly sensitive person, usually choosing slow and sensual over hard and heavy. He loves to draw things out, to stay buried deep inside and wrapped around Tony for hours, exploring with eyes, hands and tongue until Tony is little more than a shivering, pleading mess.

Realising that, in some roundabout way, they had Howard to thank for Bucky’s increased stamina had sent Tony into a somewhat disgusted sulk and Bucky into a fit of snorting giggles so infectious they’d dissolved Tony’s bad mood in minutes.

What Bucky is most persistent about, however, are positions. Who takes charge or leads doesn’t matter much, is a spontaneous, spur of the moment decision each time, but if they’re not face-to-face, Bucky won’t shy away from using every weapon in his arsenal to gain access to Tony’s mouth.

Or he downright cheats. The dick.

“Tony,” Bucky moans, trying to sound warning and failing miserably when Tony rotates his hips and grinds down, his own eyes fluttering shut at the sensation of Bucky moving inside him.

“Yes, honey?” Tony hums innocently, leaning back to brace his hands on Bucky’s thighs, lifting himself up, letting Bucky slide out of him almost all the way. “Something wrong?”

Bucky isn’t the only one capable of playing dirty. Tony knows exactly what he wants and smirks down at him, all smugness and amusement, patting Bucky’s quivering hand on his stomach. A moment later, he finds himself on his back with Bucky over him, pushing back into him, both his wrists in a vice-like grip in Bucky’s metal hand.

“Unfair,” Tony grouses and gives a half-hearted attempt at dodging away from Bucky’s kiss only to have Bucky grip his chin and hold him still. And, he thinks dizzily, opening up immediately, he should probably find this show of superior strength a bit more frightening and not consider it a turn-on, but whatever. “Unfair but sexy.”

“Good,” Bucky decides, lips reverent and gentle in contrast to his hands and thrusts, travelling down Tony’s jaw over his neck to his collarbone where Bucky bites down possessively and sends Tony over the edge.

Bucky follows seconds after, collapsing against Tony but, thankfully, having enough brain capacity left to fish for the blankets before nestling in close and deciding that half on top and still mostly inside Tony is the perfect place to nap.

Not that Tony disagrees in the slightest.

***

“Ngh,” Tony grunts, channelling all of his famous eloquence, and winds his free arm around Bucky’s waist.

In reply, Bucky crawls further into Tony’s lap and practically squishes his face into the juncture of Tony’s neck and shoulder, arms coming to rest around Tony’s neck with a heavy yet relieved sigh.

“You okay, babe?” Tony asks and frowns, brushing some hair out of the way so he can kiss Bucky’s stubbly cheek.

“Don’t wanna talk ‘bout it,” Bucky mumbles quietly and that’s that.

Asking JARVIS to transfer his current project from the tablet to a holo-screen, Tony tips his head back against the couch and continues working out some kinks in his boot-thrusters, all the while rubbing soothing circles into Bucky’s back and absently nosing at Bucky’s temple or the side of his head every now and again.

Tony can charm anyone from the media to military leaders and politicians alike, has them wrapped around his little finger in a matter of minutes, but words tend to get stuck in his throat when it comes to the most important things.

He isn’t good at personal relationships, be they platonic, sexual, romantic, defined or not, Tony is bound to say the worst thing in the worst possible moment.

But Bucky doesn’t require him to say even a single thing, doesn’t expect anything but to be held while he falls apart, until he’s gathered himself and his thoughts and is ready to move on. And that, _that_ Tony can do.

Neither of them points out the telltale redness of Bucky’s eyes when he pulls back eventually. Tony merely slides the screen away into nothingness and puts his hands on Bucky’s hips, thumbs slipping under his shirt and stroking over his skin.

“Thanks,” Bucky croaks, voice hoarse and scratchy, and Tony smiles, says “Any time.” and means it wholeheartedly.

Bucky kisses him slowly, languidly, fingers of both hands tangling in Tony’s hair, knees pressing against Tony’s thighs. Tony is drifting, pliant under Bucky’s hands, and-

Someone clears their throat and while they don’t exactly jump away from each other, Tony and Bucky do startle, attention snapping to the source of the sound.

Steve’s face is, to Tony at least, unreadable. He chances a glance at Bucky who seems to be caught between annoyance and resignation which isn’t really helping all that much.

“You know,” Steve says when the three of them have been frozen long enough for the silence to become increasingly awkward, “I’m only surprised that I’m surprised, to be honest. Buck, you still need me to drive you to Doctor Keaton’s office?”

Bucky grimaces at that but nods, pressing another, lingering kiss to Tony’s lips before straightening up and turning to glare at Steve’s already retreating back. “Dinner later?” he asks over his shoulder and adds, when Tony hums in acquaintance, “No dumplings.”

So Tony orders steak and potatoes and beans and proudly puffs out his chest, completely unashamed, when Bucky returns and beams at his choice.

They eat curled up on the couch with Archie begging for scraps and Fred Astaire flowing from the speakers, the lamps dimmed comfortably and New York’s familiar lights shining through the windows.

It’s perfect, Tony realises but can’t find it in himself to say so, not just yet. Instead he wants to know, “So, what’d Cap have to say about all this?”

“Not much,” Bucky shrugs, unconcerned, and steals the last of Tony’s potatoes.

“He has seen me in more compromising positions,” Tony allows and Bucky grins lopsidedly, tilts his head a little.

“Ask him about that time he caught me with Patrick McCormack on his knees between my legs, he’ll happily tell you all about how ‘irresponsible’ and ‘stupid, Buck, so stupid’ I was about that fella.”

Tony is stunned into silence for a moment by the implications of that simple statement which Bucky seems to find hilarious, picking up their plates and putting them down on the floor for Archie before he pulls Tony into his arms.

“Destroyed your image of an innocent, oblivious Captain America, did I?”

“Shut up,” Tony grumbles.

Bucky laughs and kisses the top of his head.

**Author's Note:**

> [Archie](http://i.imgur.com/YOGnQfX.jpg) is a St. Bernard because I'm Swiss and they're a Swiss breed. And also because they're basically just giant balls of fluffy cuddles. [Here](http://i.imgur.com/UgPE4AE.jpg) is the puppy version (beware; adorableness) and [here](http://i.imgur.com/Fktt7WF.jpg) is one peeking over a fence to give you an idea of just how monstrous they get.


End file.
